Summer of 2004
by Nargle-Lover15
Summary: Rory's Summer after her first year of Yale.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own the plot but not the characters.**

**Authours note: This is set in season four. Paris and Asher never happened. Dean and Rory didn't happen. Sherry and Chris are still together and live in Texas. **

**Summer of 2004**

Rory Gilmore sat in her dorm trying to figure out how to tell her mother what she was going to do. Finally, plucking up the courage, she dialed her mom's number.

"Hello."

"Hey Michel."

"How are you?"

"Fine considering your mother is making me answer her phone like a servant."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Is she there?"

"Yes, hold on." Five minutes later Lorelai Gilmore picked up the phone

"Hello my favourite daughter."

"Hey Mom."

"How are you?"

"Great. Mom you know how the Summer break is coming up?"

"Yeah! I'm really exicited. We can rent movies, order lots of pizza ..."

Rory wasn't listening to the rest of what Lorelai was saying. She was wracked with guilt. How was she suppose to tell her mom she wasn't coming home for Summer break.

"Mom!"

"Rory."

"Mom, I'm going to stay with Dad aand Sherry for Summer vacation."

"What?"

"I'm going to stay with Dad and Sherry over the summer break."

"Why?"

"Mom, he's my Dad and Sherry's my stepmom. Also I want to see GiGi."

"But won't it be a bit uncomfortable?"

"No, Paris, Janet, Tana and Marty are comming with me."

"Is Chris okay with that?"

"Yeah. It was his idea."

"Fine."

"Mom, it's nothing personal."

"Fine. I've got to go."

"Mom!"

"Bye." And Lorelai hung up.

No matter how guilty she felt for upsetting her Mom, Rory couldn't help but feel glad. It was going to be two and a half months of her, her Dad, Sherry, Gigi, Paris, Janet, Tana and Marty!

"Paris! Hurry up we need to pick up Marty!"

"Rory I'm coming. I'm just packing the last of my clothes."

"Fine. Tana are you ready?"

"Yes! Are you sure your Dad's going to be okay with me coming?"

"Of course. Dad said I could invite four of my friends."

"Okay. Thanks for inviting me."

"Your welcome! Janet are you ready?"

"Yep! Just wondering is there a gym near your Dad's house?"

"I'm not sure about a gym but he does have a swimming pool."

"Cool. When is the flight?"

"12:30"

"Great. Is Paris ready yet?"

"Yes she is!" replied Paris.

"Good. Are we all ready now."

"I think so."

"Great let's go!"

Ten minutes later they picked Marty outside the library and drove to Hartford Airport.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything**

"Rory what time is it?"

"It's 12:20 Marty."

"Only ten minutes till take off."

"Marty are you okay?"

"Yeah Tana. I'm fine."

"Are you sure. You look kinda green."

"It's just ... I have a bit of a problem with flying."

"Why?"

"I hate turbulence."

"The weathers good today so turbulence isn't likely."

"Thanks. That makes me feel a bit better."

"No problem," replied Janet.

"Paris your very quiet," aknowledged Rory.

"I'm just hungry and running low on caffiene."

"Well we should be getting lunch soon."

"Good I'm starved!"

"Paris the lunch trolley is coming!"

"Thank goodness!"

"Hello, Miss would you prefer the beef or the chicken?"

"The chicken please," replied Paris.

The air hostess handed Paris her meal and turned to the others. Rory, Tana and Marty ordered the chicken and Janet ordered the beef. The five of them sat eating in silence. Then Paris exclaimed:

"This is horrile!"

"It is, isn't it," replied the other three with the chicken.

"Mine's good," said Janet deciding to enter the conversation.

"Well lucky you!" Paris snipped at her.

"How long until we land?"

"Around twenty minutes Tana."

"Okay."

"This is the captain annoucing that we are completing our journey ten minutes early."

"Oh good! I'm looking forward to doing some form of exercise!"

"There's the Janet we know and love!"

"Sorry, it's just I've been sitting for nearly four hours!"

"Fair enough!"

"Eight!"

"Eight what Paris?"

"Eight times I have read 1984!"

"Congradulations!"

"Thank you!"

"Rory?"

"Yes Tana?"

"Do you think your dad and stepmom will like me?"

"Of course! They'll love you. All of you!"

"Thanks. That's made me a bit less nervous!"

"We are begining our descent," announced the captain.

"This is my second least favourite part of a flight," said Marty.

"What's your least favourite?"

"Taking off."

"Marty don't worry. It'll be fine."

Rory was right and the plane landed safely. Five minutes later they were collecting their suitcases.

"There's mine!" yelled Rory and Marty grabbed it fot her.

"Jeez this is heavy!"

"Sorry I packed lots of books." Before Marty could reply, Tana yelled:

"That blue one's mine!" yelled Tana and Marty grabbed it for her.

"Thank you!"

"Your welcome."

Janet got her own suitcase and Paris's.

"Thanks."

"Your welcome."

"There's Dad and Sherry," exclaimed Rory, pointing at her dad and stepmom.

The five teeagers hurried over to the two adults and noticed the woman was holding a young child, who Rory reconised as her younger sister, Gigi. When they reached the adults Rory ran into her dad's open arms and said happily:

"Hey Dad!"

"Hey kiddo!" replied Christopher Hayden, just as happily.

"Hey Sherry!" said Rory excitedly hugging her stepmom.

"Hi Rory! We've missed you!"

"I missed you guys too! Can I hold Gigi?"

"Of course! She's your sister!" replied Sherry passing her daughter to Rory.

"Hey little sister!"

"Rory."

"She said my name!"

"It was her first word."

"Really?" asked Rory, tears of happiness forming in her bright blue eyes.

"Yep! She said it while pointing to a picture of the two of you.

"Aww! Oh yeah! Dad, Sherry, Gigi meet Paris, Tana, Marty and Janet!" said Rory pointing to each of her friends in turn.

"Hello, we've heard so much about all of you!" said Sherry hugging each of them. Then Chris did the same. This surprised the four teenagers but they hugged the two aduts back.

"Okay, welcome to Texas! Our house is about an hour and a half away and our van is in the parking lott."

The eight of them walked out the the van, climbed in the back and an hour and a half later arrived at Chris and Sherry's house.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Nothings changed since the last chapter**

After a very pleasant drive, the party of eight arrived at the home of Christopher and Sherry Hayden. It was a beautiful house that could easily accommodate a family of twelve and still have room for guests. It was simply decorated, with cream furniture and lightly colored walls. Chris and Sherry, obviously, shared the master bedroom and Gigi had a reasonably-sized room to the right of that of her parents.

This left the five guests with a choice of six rooms. They decided to keep the same room arrangements they used at Yale, as they had grown use to them. This meant Rory and Paris in one room, Tana and Janet in another and Marty in a room by himself, which he didn't mind.

The five teenagers spent an hour unpacking, then headed to the swimming pool. At it's shallowest, the pool was three feet deep and at it's deepest six and a half feet. Sherry, Chris and Gigi were already there, enjoying themselves. Sherry was helping her daughter paddle around the shallow end of the pool and Chris was practicing his diving.

Janet soon joined Chris diving into the pool, as did Tana. Tana, to everyone's surprise, was a really good swimmer. Rory joined her sister and Sherry in the shallow end of the pool. Paris, being the competitive young woman she is, challenged Marty to a contest to see who could jump the furthest into the pool.

Paris and Marty's contest lasted until 7pm (they started at around 5pm) and was declared a draw, to Paris's disappointment as she was sure she had always jumped the furthest. At around this time Chris ordered a couple of pizzas and a serving of pasta for Gigi.

When the food arrived, the seven that could talk properly, chatted for a while. One of the main topics was Tana's swimming skills.

"So, Tana how come you've never told us you are such a good swimmer?" Janet asked.

"I didn't think it was really important."

"You would have been great on the Yale swim team!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! Why don't you join next year?"

"Am I really that good?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay. I'll join."

"Great!" exclaimed Janet, hugging her friend.

"Oh! By the way Sherry and I have an announcement to make. Well, two announcements actually."

"What?" asked the five friends in unison.

"Well," Sherry started, "I'm pregnant again! The baby's due in October!"

"Really?" Rory squealed, rushing to hug her dad and step-mom.

"Really!" replied Chris.

"That's great! Congratulations!" the excited teenagers exclaimed.

"What's the other thing?"

"My nephew is coming to visit," answered Sherry, "He is staying the whole summer. He went to Chilton in Hartford, then military school. So Paris and Rory might know him. He's arriving later tonight."

Paris and Rory knew exactly who the older woman was referring to but didn't say so.


End file.
